Customers of Thirteen now have a new outlook from their windows thanks to a major refurbishment of the communal garden at Jupiter Court in Middlesbrough.
The revamp was a partnership project between Thirteen and the Durham Tees Valley Community Rehabilitation Company (CRC). It involved clearing an area of thick undergrowth in the communal garden, refurbishing large planters, spreading 15 tons of gravel across the site, installing a ground membrane to halt the weeds, and jet washing all the paving.
The refurbishment was designed to provide residents with an attractive and low maintenance outside space for them all to enjoy throughout the year. The work took about three full weeks to complete and finished at the beginning of November.
Residents of Jupiter Court got in touch with Thirteen staff to let them know that they would like to make more use of the communal garden for things like social activities and get-togethers, and asked for the garden to be revamped.
Chris Smith, Thirteen’s executive director of service delivery and development, said: “We consulted with residents at Jupiter Court to find out their views about how they wanted the finished garden to look.
“We then enlisted the help of Durham Tees Valley Community Rehabilitation Company to carry out the initial clearance of the area. They became so committed to the project that they asked to stay and help see it through until the end.
“CRC’s role in the project was really important and it’s a demonstration of how effective partnership working can achieve something really positive – both for our residents and the people working with CRC.”
To carry out the work, the project brought together residents, CRC and a number of teams within Thirteen including the Customer Involvement, Grounds Maintenance and Neighbourhoods teams.
The project to revamp the area at Jupiter Court took place as part of Thirteen’s Spring Green initiative, which was designed to improve outdoor areas in neighbourhoods across the Tees Valley. The project was one of 12 completed across Hartlepool, Stockton, Darlington and Middlesbrough.